Coupon dispenser



Oct. 25, 1966 e. v. MOMMSEN ETAL 3,281,143

COUPON DISPENSER Filed July 6, 1964 WMWD United States Patent 3,281,143 COUPON DISPENSER Gordon V. Mommsen, Minneapolis, and Neil M. Clark,

St. Louis Park, Minn, assignors to Possis Machine Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,542 3 Claims. (Cl. 271) This invention relates to a means for dispensing coupons and more specifically to a device for dispensing coupons "wherein means are provided for forcing the bottommost coupon of a quantity of coupons stacked in a hopper against buckling means by a rotating wheel with a friction member constituting part of said 'wheels circumference; when the bottommost coupon is forced against the buckling means the coupon buckles downward, which is the only direction of travel available to it; the leading edge of the coupon thus separated from the group snaps from the buckling means into a series of feed wheels and is fed to the location at which it is desired to deliver the coupon.

Manufacturers of boxed soaps, cereals and the like often insert coupons in the containers of their product either for the purpose of advertising another product, giving a saving on the next purchase of the product or advertising some premium gift. The mass production filling of these boxes is rendered more expensive and usually slowed down if these premium coupons are required to be inserted into each box by hand. Also, it is in the manufacturers interest to insure that only one coupon is inserted in each box. The present invention fills this need of the packaging industry by providing a device which will feed one coupon at a time tto a desired location and by which the coupons may be delivered one after another in very rapid succession thus eliminating human error and slowness in inserting coupons into boxes.

It is often desirable at exhibits to provide the viewing public with informational sheets printed on a card or coupon. In such situations it would be very desirable to do away with the necessity of having an attendant present to distribute this information. The present invention, with a slight modification, will serve this purpose, By providing means that allow only one card to be fed every time the drive means is activated the need for an attendant is eliminated with the exception of a periodic filling of the hopper wherein the cards are stored.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a means whereby coupons may be delivered one at a time in rapid succession.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for separating one coupon from a stack of coupons and delivering it to a desired location.

It is another object of this invention to provide a method of delivering coupons to a selected point in timed sequence.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide means for presenting, upon demand, an information card to the operator.

It is yet a still further object of this invention to separate coupons from a stack thereof by forcing the bottommost coupon of the stack of coupons against a buckling means including a .pair of spaced buckling members causing the coupon to buckle and snap downwardly where it is caught by feeding wheels.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these 3,281,143 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which the same numerals refer to corresponding parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the structure of the present invention with portions broken away to conserve space and show internal construction;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view with portions broken away to show the lower feed wheels and is drawn to the same scale as FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the invention as would be seen looking from the right side of FIGURE 1 and drawn to the same scale as FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, vertical, partial section taken along the line 44- of FIGURE 2 depicting a coupon in the process of buckling; the dotted lines depict the drive pulley and belts; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial, vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 and is drawn to the same scale as FIGURE 1.

A hopper 11 is rigidly secured to the coupon dispenser frame 12 by any suitable means as for example the screws 13. The hopper 11 is desirably constructed with inside dimensions closely approximating those of the coupons with which it is designed to function. Hopper bottom 14- of the hopper 11 is not solid but .at its forward end has a gap wherein the wheels 16 are allowed to contact the coupons stored in said hopper 11.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, the upright hopper side Walls extend forwardly of wheels 16 and diverge outwardly. Secured to the lower forward edges of the side walls are spaced buckling members 15. Each buckling member 15 has an upright portion or wall 15A providing a stop for the lower coupons and an inwardly directed horizontal portion 15B for supporting a corner of the lower coupons. FIGURE 2 shows horizontal portions 15B as having forwardly convering sides.

Means should be provided for insuring a steady flow of coupons to the bottom of the hopper 11. One acceptable method of doing this is to use the weight 18 which has dimensions closely approximating the inside dimensions of the hopper 11.

The wheel 16 is desirably polished to a smooth finish about its circumference and is provided with a friction insert 19 over a fraction of the circumference of wheels 16. While many types of friction inserts 19 may work well a very suitable wheel 16 may be made by using a friction insert 19 of rubber extending somewhat less than a quarter of the circumference of wheels 16.

The friction wheels 16 are rigidly secured to the shaft 20 by any suitable means. Shaft 20 is rotatably secured to the coupon dispenser frame 12 by means of the bearings 21 and 22 which are, in turn, rigidly secured to the coupon dispenser frame 12.

As viewed in FIGURE 2, just to the right of the hearing 22 is a sheave 23 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 20 by any suitable means. At the extreme right end of the shaft 20, also as viewed in FIGURE 2, is rigidly secured at sheave 24.

Drive means 25 may be rigidly secured to the coupon dispenser frame 12 by any suitable method. The drive means 25 may be any suitable type which is well known in the art and desirably may be comprised of a conventional electric motor and speed reducer both of which are not further described herein. A shaft 26 is operati-vely secured to the drive means 25 via a conventional single rotation clutch 48 and a sheave 27 secured to shaft 26 aligned with sheave 24. Sheaves 24 and 27 are connected by any suitable means, as for example a V-belt 28.

Feed roller mounting plates 29 and 30 are secured to the coupon dispenser frame 12 by any suitable means, as for example by the screws 31. The shaft 32 is rotat-ably secured to the roller mounting plates 29 and 30 by friction reducing means such as, for example, by the bearings 33 and 34 which are secured to the roller mounting plates 29 and 30 respectively. Near the center of the shaft 32, and secured thereto, are the platen rollers 35. Shaft 36 is similarly rotatably secured to the roller mounting plates 29 and 30 via the bearings 37 and 38 which are secured to the roller mounting plates 29 and 30 respectively. Near the center of the shaft 36 are located the platen wheels 39 which are secured thereto.

A shaft 40 is rotatably secured to the roller bracket members 29 and 30 via bearings 41 and 4'2 which are, in turn, secured to the roller mounting plates 29 and 30 respectively. Near the center of the shaft 40 and secured thereto for mutual rotation with it are the friction wheels 43. It is desirable to embrace the circumference of the friction wheels 43 with a friction member 44- of any suitable friction material, as for example, rubber. At the right extremity of the shaft 40, as viewed in FIG- URES 2 and 3, and secured thereto is the sheave 45 which is oriented in operational alignment with the sheave 23 and operably secured thereto by suitable means such as the V-belt 46.

A duct 47 may be secured between the roller mounting plates 29 and 30 and is so disposed as to receive the coupons 49, which are fed beneath the platen wheels 35 and 39 by the friction feeding wheels 43 to deposit the coupons at a desired position, as for example the boxes 59 in FIGURE 1.

Clutch 48 is of a type well known in the art, which, when triggered, remains in power transmitting engagement for one revolution of the wheel 16 at which time the one revolution clutch 48 disengages. This structure allows intermittent operation of the device. Clutch 4% may be conventionally controlled by standard means such as a solenoid triggered by boxes 50 engaging a conventional limit switch or a push button or toggle switch manually actuated in case of a public exhibit.

Operation To operate the coupon dispenser a stack of coupons 17 is first inserted into the coupon hopper 11. A weight 18 is placed in position above the coupon stack 17. The drive means 25 is then engaged and through its appropriate linkage causes the sheave 24 to rotate. If clutch 48 is engaged, the wheels 16 also rotate. Because the friction wheels 16 are smooth over most of their circumference they slide easily beneath the stacked coupons 17 with which they are in intimate contact. However, when the friction insert 19 comes into contact with the bottommost coupon of the coupon stack 17 the insert forces the coupon to the right, as is shown in FIGURE 4, causing the coupon to be buckled against the upright portions A of the buckling members 15. After the coupon 49 is buckled the corners of the coupon will snap down over the converging sides of the horizontal portions 15B of the buckling members 15 because that is the only direction of travel available to it. Coupon 49, thus freed from the stack, contacts the friction member 44 of the friction roller 43 and is caught in the bight between the rollers 43 and platen rollers 35. The friction wheels 43, because they are operably linked to the drive mechanism, are also rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4 and at a faster rate than wheels 16. Coupon 49 will be jerked suddenly to the right. As the coupon is propelled to the right, it engages the upper curved, portions of chute 47 which guides the coupon through an approximately turn with the aid of the friction roller 43 and the platen wheels 35 and 39.

After the coupon 49 has left the friction roller 43 and the platen wheel 39, it is deposited in one end of the duct 47 through which said coupon 49 is allowed to fall freely to the other end of said duct 47 which is at the desired location, as is shown in FIGURE 1, namely the boxes 50. This operation may be repeated in rapid succession timed so that each box 5t) receives one coupon until the hopper Ill is empty at which time the process is started over again.

When the invention is used at a public exhibit, one revolution clutch 48 is manually engaged by a person viewing the exhibit, and one coupon or card bearing information is delivered through the duct to the member of the viewing public. Only intermittent attention is required to refill the hopper 11.

It is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinb-efore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A coupon dispenser comprising: a frame, a hopper secured to said frame; said hopper receiving a stack of coupons, conveying means positioned near one end of said hopper, intermittent coupon engaging and driving means below said hopper, and buckling means including a pair of buckling members secured to said hopper between said intermittent coupon engaging and driving means and said conveying means supporting the forward end of the coupons, each buckling member having a horizontal portion supporting a corner of the coupon and an upright portion providing a stop for the coupon; said intermittent coupon engaging and driving means intermittently driving a coupon toward said buckling members until the driven coupon buckles sufiiciently for its end to flip free of said buckling members and hopper and into said conveying means.

2. The coupon dispenser of claim 1 in which said intermittent coupon engaging and driving means is an interrupted friction wheel and said conveying means includes a coupon direction altering duct.

3. The dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein said horizontal portions of the buckling members have forwardly converging sides.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,289,501 7/1942 Kauffeld 271 22 2,524,417 10/1950 Bamber 271 20 FOREIGN PATENTS 380,443 9/1923 Germany.

M. HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner.

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COUPON DISPENSER COMPRISING: A FRAME, A HOPPER SECURED TO SAID FRAME; SAID HOPPER RECEIVING A STACK OF COUPONS, CONVEYING MEANS POSITIONED NEAR ONE END OF SAID HOPPER, INTERMITTENT COUPON ENGAGING AND DRIVING MEANS BELOW SAID HOPPER, AND BUCKLING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF BUCKLING MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID HOPPER BETWEEN SAID INTERMITTENT COUPON ENGAGING AND DRIVING MEANS AND SAID CONVEYING MEANS SUPPORTING THE FORWARD END OF THE COUPONS, EACH BUCKLING MEMBER HAVING A HORIZONTAL PORTION SUPPORTING A CORNER OF THE COUPON AND AN UPRIGHT PORTION PROVIDING A STOP FOR THE COUPON; SAID INTERMITTENT COUPON ENGAGING AND DRIVING MEANS INTERMITTENTLY DRIVING A COUPON TOWARD SAID BUCKLING MEMBERS UNTIL THE DRIVEN COUPON BUCKLES SUFFICIENTLY FOR ITS END TO FLIP FREE OF SAID BUCKLING MEMBERS AND HOPPER AND INTO SAID CONVEYING MEANS. 